"White lies or fibs are harmless and will rarely have major consequences other than perhaps a little embarrassment if the truth ever were to come out."

Not all these lies are going unpunished, as almost half of adults admit they have been caught out when dodging the truth - usually by their partner, parents or their boss.

And 42% say being dishonest has got them into trouble with 27% admitting they lost friends over it.

Others said they were never trusted by that person again, lost their job or relationship or struggled to get an insurance claim paid out.

It also emerged that 17% of Brits have lied to or misled insurance companies in order to get cover or while making a claim, with 25 per cent of those admitting they completely lied on their application.

"But there are some things you should always be honest about to avoid a major issues or disappointments further down the line," the spokesman added.

"Lying on your CV or in a job interview, or when talking to insurance companies can have a serious effects long term and could result in you losing your job or money if the truth is discovered further down the line."

Top 25 occasions Brits are most likely to lie:

Saying 'I'm fine' when you are upset

Saying you like a gift, when you don't

The cost of an item

How ill you are

Money and finances

Realising you've been undercharged for an item and not mentioning it

Complimenting food when you don't like it

Telling someone they look good in an outfit when it doesn't suit them

Amount of alcohol you have drank

Not notifying the sales assistant that they gave you too much change

Household chores

Saying you've sent something, either by email or post, when you haven't